TEHRAN , Iran -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Iran 's President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad on Thursday called the U.S. president inexperienced , compared him unfavorably to President George W. Bush and suggested he apologize for `` interfering in Iran 's affairs . ''

Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad lashed out at President Obama on Thursday .

`` Do you think that this kind of behavior is going to solve any of your problems ? It will only make people think you are someone like Bush , '' the semiofficial Fars news agency quoted Ahmadinejad as saying .

`` You are at the beginning of your way and you are gaining experience , and we do not wish the scandals of the Bush era to be repeated during your term of office , '' the Iranian leader said .

President Obama , who has been in office for five months , has been treading a careful line on Iran , which has seen two weeks of street demonstrations following a disputed presidential election there . Watch how U.S.-Iran relations got to this point

Pro-government security forces have cracked down on the protests , with officials saying 17 people have died . Unofficial reports suggest the number is much higher .

Official results gave Ahmadinejad a 2-to-1 victory over his nearest rival , former Prime Minister Mir Hossein Moussavi . Moussavi says the results were rigged .

Obama has said Iranians must be free to demonstrate peacefully , and his administration Wednesday withdrew invitations to Iranian diplomats around the world to attend U.S. embassy Fourth of July parties .

The extension of invitations last month was seen as a cautious outreach to Iran , which has not had diplomatic relations with Washington for 30 years .

Obama wrote secretly to Iran 's Supreme Leader , Ayatollah Ali Khamenei , before the election , Iranian sources confirmed Wednesday . See photos from post-election violence ''

Obama said Tuesday that Iran 's government must justify itself not in the eyes of the United States , but in the opinion of its own people .

`` A sizable percentage of the Iranian people themselves ... consider this election illegitimate , '' he said at a White House news conference .

`` It is not too late for the Iranian government to recognize that there is a peaceful path that will lead to stability and prosperity , '' he said . `` We hope they take it . '' Timeline of election violence ''

Ahmadinejad said Thursday that even 5 - and 6-year-olds would not allow insults to the Iranian nation , telling Obama : `` We hope that you will avoid interfering in Iran 's affairs and somehow express your regret so that the Iranian nation can become aware of your regret . If there is real change , the Iranian nation will welcome it . ''

@highlight

Ahmadinejad : `` We do not wish the scandals of the Bush era to be repeated ''

@highlight

Iran has been in gripped in post-election violence for two weeks

@highlight

Obama has said that Iranians must be permitted to demonstrate peacefully

@highlight

U.S. president secretly wrote to Iran 's supreme leader before the election